ACI History
During 1984 and 1985 16 completely new marinas were built in Umag, Rovinj, Pula, Pomer, SupetarskaDraga, Rab, Žut, Piškera, Jezera, Vodice, Skradin, Trogir, Split, Milna, Vrboska and Palmižana. In the tourist season of 1986, these marinas were ready to provide complete nautical tourism services with their nautical, hospitality and commercial facilities and technical infrastructure.
With the aim of promoting and popularizing sailing as a sport, in 1987, ACI founded its own sailing club –the Yacht Club Croatia (YCC). One of the most significant joint projects of ACI and YCC is the ACI Match Race Cup, which has been taking place regularly since 1987, in various locations. Until now, 25 ACI MatchRace Cups have taken place in the marinas in Rovinj, Dubrovnik, Umag and Split.
In the 1988 ACI founded the Adriatic Nautical Academy, ACI Sailing Academy. The founder of ACI, Veljko Barbieri invited the renowned Italian skipper Cino Ricci to develop a sailing program and sailing school, whose main task was to promote sailing.
In 1988, a joint-venture agreement was concluded with GRASSETTO Nederland, Amsterdam, a LIGRESTI -Milano Group company. The implementation of the agreement included the construction of ACI marinas in Korčula and Opatija. ACI marina KORČULA was inaugurated at the beginning of the 1989 tourist season, and ACI marina OPATIJA in Ičići at the beginning of the 1990 tourist season.
At the beginning of 1991, the Dubrovnik marina in Komolac joined the system of ACI marinas with all itsfacilities, infrastructure and employees. In mid-1994 two more marinas join the system of ACI d.d. marinas – marina Cres and marina Šimuni (on the island of Pag). Since then, a total of 21 marinas have been doing business within the Company’s system.
After long period of 24 years, in autumn of the year 2014. the construction works on new, 22nd ACI marina have started at Slano, near Dubrovnik. The newest ACI marina, named in honor of ACI founder, Veljko Barbieri, has been opened on August 3rd 2016.
In April 2019 the complete reconstruction work on the most modern and, considered by many, the most beautiful marina in the Adriatic, ACI marina Rovinj, whose highest standards in design and technological solutions match those of world’s elite destinations, was finished.